Corporate Crime And Legal Proceedings

Public can speak on Girls Inc. bonds (10/02/08)
Girls Inc. received permission from Plymouth County supervisors in June to route $5.1 million in revenue bounds through the county to build a new center in Sioux City. The supervisors Tuesday scheduled a 10 a.m. Nov. 4 public hearing, which will be during their regular board meeting, inviting public comments on the agreement with Girls Inc...

Le Mars Area Dialysis focus is on fundraising, renovation (10/01/08)
Le Mars Area Dialysis Services is stepping up its fundraising efforts. Currently the not-for-profit group has two main focuses -- one is to continue raising money, and the other is to plan renovation of its newly acquired building in downtown Le Mars...

Third suspect arrested in grocery store theft (10/01/08)
A 20-year-old Sergeant Bluff man turned himself in to the Le Mars Police after a warrant for his arrest was issued regarding a Merrill auto theft and a burglary at Rincon Tapatio grocery store in Le Mars. Tyler Hickson is charged with burglary in the third degree in regards to a Sept. 17 break-in at the store on Central Avenue in Le Mars, where thieves broke the front door window and stole the cash register with an unreleased amount of cash, plus some candy, the police said...

Wells' Dairy pays back $1.2 million to state (09/29/08)
Wells' Dairy has been asked to pay back $1.25 million of a nearly $3 million state award after they missed a job creation and retention goal by about 150 jobs. The debt to the state has already been paid, according to a statement from the Le Mars ice cream and frozen novelty producer's CEO Mike Wells...

School sends message: no bullies allowed (09/24/08)
What may start out as joking or teasing could turn into bullying. Bullying may be physical, verbal or emotional in nature and is seen as an aggressive behavior that is intentional and that involves an imbalance of power or strength and is typically repeated over time, according to information from the program, "Stop Bullying Now."...

Negotiations begin on new Wells' Dairy labor contract (09/22/08)
Negotiations are underway on a contract that impacts about 1,400 hourly manufacturing employees at Wells' Dairy in Le Mars. "A corporate team is sitting down and meeting with an employee team," said Dave Smetter, spokesman for the ice cream and novelty company...

Burglars take cash register from downtown store (09/19/08)
Thieves broke out a front door window of the Rincon Tapatio grocery store on Le Mars' Central Avenue and stole the cash register Wednesday night. A Le Mars police officer discovered the broken window at about 8:20 a.m. Thursday. Investigation revealed that unknown parties stole the cash register with an undetermined amount of cash, along with some candy. The police also reported that no other vandalism was done to the store...

Supervisors delay decision to repair floors at Pride Group home (09/17/08)
The Plymouth County Supervisors put the matter of restroom floor repairs at a residential facility operated by Pride Group Inc. on hold Tuesday. The supervisors directed Mike Porter, CEO of Pride Group, to obtain a firm cost estimate to fix floors in four showers and two bathrooms at the residential care facility (RCF) on Highway 3...

The drinking age debate: locals speak (09/12/08)
While a national group is urging university and college leaders to sign onto an initiative calling for a lower drinking age -- 18 years old -- locals aren't gung-ho about the idea. A project known as the Amethyst Initiative, launched this summer, is a group of more than 125 university and college presidents and chancellors urging elected leaders to support debate on the 21-year-old drinking age and reconsider laws related to that rule...

LCS board OKs allocation of state money for teachers (09/11/08)
An agreement between the Le Mars Community School District and the Le Mars Education Association provides for the distribution to teachers of more than $800,000 in additional state money for the 2008-09 school year. The Educator Quality Basic money is allocated by the Iowa Legislature in an effort to increase the average teacher salaries in Iowa and raise Iowa's ranking in average teacher salary in the United States...

O'Keefe gets maximum sentence for stabbing death (09/10/08)
The man who pleaded guilty to stabbing another man with a butcher knife in a Le Mars downtown apartment will spend up to 40 years in prison. Jody Brent O'Keefe, 35, was sentenced Tuesday in Plymouth County District court for the death of Samuel Ray Toliver, 32...

IML Container to expand in industrial park (09/09/08)
A Le Mars manufacturer that makes plastic containers for products like ice cream and butter will have its own permanent home in the industrial park. IML Containers Iowa, which has been leasing space in Le Mars since it began operation in 2006, is planning to build a 63,000-square-foot facility...

O'Keefe pleads guilty to stabbing (09/05/08)
The man charged with stabbing another man with a butcher knife in a Le Mars downtown apartment in January pleaded guilty to four felony charges Thursday. Jody Brent O'Keefe, 35, signed a plea agreement that could land him in prison for up to 40 years for the death of Samuel Ray Toliver, 32...

No jail time required for Kingsley funeral director (09/03/08)
A Kingsley funeral director will have to pay nearly $180,000 in restitution to a former business partner for money he admitted to stealing, but he faces no prison time. Mark Francis Rohde, 49, who pleaded guilty in August to stealing about $179,000 and to tax evasion, both felonies, was sentenced Tuesday in Plymouth County District Court...

Council delays action on bumpy downtown intersection (09/03/08)
"We've cut $700,000 from the budget, reduced services, cut back on books for the library, and eliminated some mowing of city properties, and cut people's jobs. If we don't have the money, we don't do the project," Le Mars City Councilman Rex Knapp said Tuesday referring to repair of the Plymouth Street/Central Avenue intersection...

Work on GIS website puts Plymouth County on the map (09/02/08)
Plymouth County's success with owning and operating a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) website will soon be known around the world. Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise, owner of AutoCad Map 3D software used on the county's GIS website, wrote a customer success story that will be published in the company's trademark magazines, displayed at GIS conferences and on its website...

Questions answered on school levy issue (08/29/08)
Two public information meetings brought approximately 75 Le Mars Community School District residents out to learn about the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) Wednesday and Thursday evenings. A vote on whether to implement the levy will be held on Sept. 9, the same day as school board elections...

Offices closed for Labor Day (08/29/08)
Americans will celebrate the country's 126th annual Labor Day, the three day-weekend that marks the unofficial end of summer. There will be several closings in Le Mars for the day. The first Labor Day was celebrated in New York City on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, after the Central Labor Union came up with the idea and planned a demonstration and picnic for that day...

Harker's closes after 100 years in Le Mars (08/27/08)
A century-old Le Mars establishment is folding. Harker's, a food service company that began with a meat market started by George Harker in 1906, will have its last day Friday, according to Harker's president Jim Harker. Cardboard boxes fill the front lawn of the Le Mars corporate headquarters building at 801 Sixth St. S.W...

School board members answer questions about ISL (08/26/08)
On Sept. 9, voters in the Le Mars Community School District will decide whether to approve a tax levy that would raise money for LCS teacher salaries, books, programs and transportation fuel. That Instructional Support Levy (ISL) has proved the source of much debate. Two LCS School Board members -- Patrick Murphy and Mark Stelzer -- sat down with the Daily Sentinel editorial staff to talk through some of the questions about the levy...

New library director could be reading in Le Mars by Nov. 1 (08/26/08)
The hunt for a Le Mars Public Library director is moving ahead full steam as officials now have a handful of applicants to consider. The personnel committee met Monday to shorten that list even more, said Randy Becker, president of the library's board of trustees...

Kingsley funeral director pleads guilty to theft (08/19/08)
A Kingsley funeral director pleaded guilty to stealing about $175,000 and avoiding paying taxes Monday in Plymouth County District Court. Mark Francis Rohde, 49, pleaded guilty to theft in the first degree and tax evasion as part of a plea agreement...

When mommy is arrested: Police plan for children on the scene (08/18/08)
Patrol cars pull up to a house, looking for an adult suspect. They enter the house to make an arrest. There, on the couch, an eight year old is reading a book. Suddenly, the plan changes. "Kids are so impressionable," said Le Mars Police Chief Stu Dekkenga. "It's a big deal, removing a parent. You don't want to traumatize the child."...

Plymouth County cracks down on drunk drivers (08/15/08)
The Plymouth County Sheriff's Office announced it will join other police agencies throughout the country in support of an intensive crackdown on impaired driving now through September 1. "The state has several times they do these things," said Chief Deputy Craig Bartolozzi. "Labor Day is one of the worst holidays for this kind of thing because of last minute vacationers and such."...

New charges filed against Holst regarding shotgun incident (08/14/08)
The man who allegedly shot at a car after reportedly being bothered by someone ringing his doorbell now faces two felony charges. Gary Holst, 68, of southern Le Mars, was originally arrested Saturday night after two people complained to the Le Mars Police about gunshots that evening. Holst was charged with reckless use of a firearm causing damage, jailed, and released after posting his $2,000 bond...

O'Keefe stabbing trial delayed (08/04/08)
The jury trial for a man charged with stabbing another man with a butcher knife in a Le Mars apartment has been pushed again. Jody Brent O'Keefe, 35, of Le Mars now faces a 9:30 a.m. Sept. 9 trial. O'Keefe's first degree murder charges stem from a stabbing incident Jan. 24 in a Le Mars apartment that left Samuel Ray Toliver, 32, dead...

Wanted: Neighborhood block parties for Night Out (07/30/08)
Next Tuesday evening, neighborhoods around the nation will gather around picnic tables to help fight crime. Tuesday, Aug. 5, is set as National Night Out, a night when neighbors can share a meal and show their support for local anti-crime efforts, sending the message to criminals that their neighborhoods are organized and fighting back...

Sign theft could mean jail time (07/29/08)
When Mark Sturgeon looked out his window Sunday morning, his lawn looked a little emptier. The sign he put up two days earlier, supporting a candidate running for office this fall, was missing. He was not alone. "We have had some energetic people taking signs from all over the place," said Le Mars Police Chief Stu Dekkenga. "We had a call this morning on missing real estate signs, too."...

Plymouth Oil may receive $1.2 million in tax benefits (07/22/08)
The State of Iowa pledged about $1.2 million in tax incentives to a plant near Merrill that will make corn oil for food and cooking. The $30 million Plymouth Oil plant is planned next to the 50-million-gallon Plymouth Energy LLC ethanol plant near Merrill. The projected completion date is July 31, 2013, according to an Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) spokesperson...

Robinson pleads not guilty in vehicular homicide (07/22/08)
A Merrill man pleaded not guilty to a charge of homicide by motor vehicle Monday in Plymouth County District Court. Danny Clyde Robinson, 49, is accused of that felony and operating while intoxicated, a second offense, regarding an Aug. 11, 2007 accident which claimed the life of a 78-year-old woman...

LCS board sets July 25 hearing on ISL resolution (07/15/08)
The Le Mars Community School Board has set a public hearing on their intent to participate in the Instructional Support Program, a tax levy which would raise money for salaries, supplies and program costs for the school. The hearing will be noon on Friday, July 25, at the Education Service Center located at 940 Lincoln St. S.W...

Couple hopes musical notes carry in dollars for prison church (07/07/08)
Foot stompin' country and gospel music will be featured in concert this Sunday in rural Remsen to help raise money for The Church of the Damascus Road. The congregation of The Church of the Damascus Road Evangelical Lutheran Church of America ministers to inmates of any denomination within the prisons in Fort Dodge and Rockwell City...

Employee health insurance plan awarded to Avera Health (06/19/08)
Le Mars city council members Tuesday voted to continue the city's Employee Health Plan with Avera Health with Northwood continuing as the city's reinsurance carrier. City Finance Director Bill Cole said that while the plan represents a 10 percent cost increase, the plan was the lowest of 15 proposals received. Despite the increase, he said, the city will be paying less for the insurance fixed costs in 2009 than in 2006 due to the health contract accepted at that time...

Corn oil plant seeks property tax relief from county (06/18/08)
A proposed $30 million corn oil plant near Merrill inched closer to reality this week. The Plymouth County Supervisors on Tuesday approved five years of property tax relief for Plymouth Oil L.L.C. The first year will be a 75 percent break declining to 15 percent in the fifth year...

Council approves city administrator pay hike (06/18/08)
Le Mars City Administrator Scott Langel is in line for a 3.75 percent pay increase for the coming year following action Tuesday by the city council. The council, meeting in a closed executive session, approved a fiscal year 2009 salary of $118,119 for Langel, compared to his present salary of $113,850...

Gas station falls victim to burglars (06/17/08)
CarGo Express Convenience Store No. 1 was damaged and robbed sometime after 11 p.m. Friday. Police estimated the value of items stolen and the damage done to the business at $7,000. Le Mars Police Department officers were called to the store, at 327 Plymouth St. N.E., at about 6:45 a.m. Saturday, June 14...

Kingsley man arrested after threatening deputy (06/16/08)
A 52-year-old Kingsley man is in jail after lying to and threatening a deputy then trying to evade authorities while carrying a gun Friday morning. Christopher Steven Mills was arrested after Plymouth County Sheriff Deputy Aaron Leusink came to Mills' home, 220 Rutland Street, at about 9:30 a.m. and attempted to serve him civil papers on a small claims issue...

Pedestrian struck by drunken driver Saturday (06/16/08)
Erik Wiltgen was hit Saturday night by a drunken driver while attempting to walk across 12th St. S.E. Wiltgen was initially transported to Floyd Valley Hospital and later life flighted to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City. The driver of the vehicle, Jeremy Murfin, of Le Mars, said he was traveling eastbound on 12th St. S.E. when Wiltgen stepped in front of his vehicle...

Our Dreams: Class of 2008 (06/12/08)
This is the fourth story in a series looking at what plans and dreams local members of the graduating class of 2008 hope to pursue. For Shahryar Naqvi, the desire become a lawyer isn't motivated by fame, fancy things, or even the money that is commonly associated with the practice. For this 2008 Gehlen Catholic High School graduate, the aspiration to become a lawyer lies in one, pure motive: To achieve equality for the little guy...

Delivery pains: Trucking industry crunch hits home (06/05/08)
High fuel prices are taking semis off the road. With diesel surpassing $4 a gallon, trucking operations as small as one person and as large as 1,000 drivers are closing down and parking their semis. "In the first quarter of 2008, more than 1,000 companies declared bankruptcy," said Steve Schuster, the president of trucking company Schuster Co. in Le Mars...

CPR basic training: How to save a life (06/04/08)
Jerry Wendt was one of about a dozen people taking a classroom course Tuesday to prepare for a real life situation he hopes never to see. Someone's heart fails. "I live on a farm alone, and there are other farmers alone out there," said Wendt, who lives about eight miles from town. "Anything can happen on the farm."...

Trial pushed back in stabbing case (06/03/08)
The jury trial for a man charged with stabbing another man with a butcher knife in a Le Mars apartment has been pushed again. Jody Brent O'Keefe, 35, of Le Mars won't go to trial for first-degree murder charges until August 26 at 9:30 a.m. O'Keefe's charges stem from an stabbing incident Jan. 24 in a Le Mars apartment that left Samuel Ray Toliver, 32, dead...

Local business reacts to scam artists (06/02/08)
There's a new sign at the Le Mars Truck Stop cash register. "We are NOT a bank." General Manager Kent Hanstein posted it after a scam artist asking for change walked away with $90. A quick thinking clerk caught the man's license plates and tipped off the police, who arrested the man and a friend...

Two caught after scam at truck stop (06/02/08)
Two Minnesota men were caught for scamming a Le Mars business just hours after pulling a similar scam on a Sheldon store Thursday, May 29. Scott Richard Coxworth, 30, of Houston, Minn. and Christopher Wayne Swinger, 24, of Minneapolis, Minn. pulled a scam at the Le Mars Truck Stop, stealing $90, before heading out of Le Mars...

Two men caught after scamming Le Mars Truck Stop (05/30/08)
Two Minnesota men were caught for scamming a Le Mars business just hours after pulling a similar scam on a Sheldon store Thursday, May 29...

Six county residents on the ballot June 3 (05/30/08)
Voters will go to the polls for the primary election Tuesday, June 3, to pick candidates from their party to face off in the November general election. Six Plymouth County residents are running for county offices. On the Republican side, Mark Loutsch and incumbent John Schneider are competing for the District 2 seat on the county board of supervisors. ...

Supervisors approve deputies' salaries for 2008-09 (05/28/08)
Plymouth County Sheriff deputies' salaries and others were approved Tuesday for 2008-09. The Plymouth County Supervisors approved salaries for the sheriff deputies, the deputy recorder, the auditor's deputies, the tax, motor vehicle and driver's license deputy, and the assistant Plymouth County attorney...

Velarde pleads not guilty in stabbing (05/28/08)
The man charged with stabbing one person and injuring another downtown Le Mars in April pleaded not guilty last week. Christopher Velarde, 23, of Maurice, now face a July 22 trial for willfully causing serious injury, a class C felony, and assaulting someone, causing injury, an aggravated misdemeanor...

We will remember you (05/16/08)
Shawn Hayden won't walk across the stage with his graduating class at Le Mars Community School this year. Neither will his sister, Lindsay, next year with the class of 2009. The Haydens lost their lives in a tragic shooting two years ago. But the brother and sister are still a part of LCS. Even when the Haydens' classmates graduate and leave the halls of the school, Shawn and Lindsay's memory will remain...

LCS middle school principal hired (05/16/08)
The Le Mars Community Schools board of education approved the hiring of a new middle school assistant principal for the 2008-09 school year. Christopher Schmit, a middle school instructor at Waterloo, was recommended from the candidates interviewed for the position. He will replace Amy Johnson, who resigned the position this spring...